by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Producing enzymes and yeasts on site, as part of the complete biomass-to-fuels manufacturing process. ... In recent years — the region around Straubing turned to biotech to access the high returns in high tech for its
bagasse
Back TO HOMECellulosics and the EU: Chasing Higher Rates, Yields, and More Value from Lignin
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The cellulosic scene in the EU is lively and well — greatly cheered by news of commercial-scale openings by POET-DSM, and Beta Renewables and the impending openings at Abengoa Bioenergy and DuPont. This week, the 4th
September 26, 2014 Read Full Article
GranBio Starts Cellulosic Ethanol Production at 21 Million Gallon Plant in Alagoas, Brazil
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) World’s largest-known cellulosic ethanol project to date comes online in Brazil in record time. In Brazil, GranBio has initiated production at the first commercial-scale plant for second-generation ethanol in the Southern Hemisphere. The Bioflex 1, unit
September 25, 2014 Read Full Article
Louisiana Entrepreneur Embodies Industry Switch from Emphasis on Biofuels to Bioproducts
[caption id="attachment_56190" align="alignleft" width="300"] Entrance to industrial Harvey Canal, Harvey, Louisiana[/caption] by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Golden Leaf Energy’s Troy A. Clark grew up in Louisiana. Studying chemical engineering at Tulane University brought him into contact with the oil industry.
September 23, 2014 Read Full Article
NFR BioEnergy to Develop Bagasse Pellet Projects in Louisiana
(Office of the Governor Bobby Jindal) Governor Bobby Jindal and Chief Operating Officer Frank Randazzo of NFR BioEnergy announced the company will make a $312 million capital investment to install biorefineries at more than 10 sugar refining hubs in South
September 16, 2014 Read Full Article
$60M Biomass Plant to Tap into Lafourche Bagasse
(New Orleans City Business) A Lafourche Parish mill will be the site of a $60 million biochemical facility that will turn the waste product of the sugar refining process into a useable product. Virdia Inc. announced today, with Gov. Bobby Jindal,
September 08, 2014 Read Full Article
Alkol Biotech to Develop Sugarcane Research Lab in Europe
(Global BioBusiness) ... Alkol Biotech, signed an agreement with the council of the city of Motril in the Andalusia region of Spain to develop what could be Europe’s first sugarcane development lab. The lab will develop new sugarcane varieties with better
August 22, 2014 Read Full Article
Answers for Your Questions about the Bioeconomy, Biofuels, Renewable Chemicals and Bioproducts
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... With great sessions at conferences, delegates are usually keen to get a hold of the powerpoint decks. But how do you get a hold of the great Q&A that follows the presentations — or the
August 14, 2014 Read Full Article
The Clean Plate Club: The Search for Value from Food Waste Finds a Center of Gravity in Hawaii
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) All that food waste, all that potential value. What’s being done about all that material heading from the garbage pail to the landfill? Turns out, the State of Hawaii and BioTork are doing a lot.
August 08, 2014 Read Full Article
Automakers Gear up for Changes as Govt Pushes Ethanol-Blended Petrol
by Swaraj Baggongkar (Business Standard) To curb petrol import costs, the NDA government is pushing for a 10% ethanol mix in petrol A long-delayed proposal to add 10 per cent ethanol into petrol will most likely force manufacturers to make changes to
August 07, 2014 Read Full Article
Developers of the First Cellulosic Plants Share Updates at FEW
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... A week before the FEW, Enerkem Inc. celebrated the inauguration of its 10 MMgy facility in Edmonton, Alberta. Commissioning is nearly completed, reported Tim Cesarek, senior vice president of business development. The thermochemical process
June 12, 2014 Read Full Article
Neol Biosolutions to Scale up Microbioil-2.0 Process at CB2G
(Neol Biosolutions/Biomass Magazine) Neol Biosolutions, a 50/50 joint venture between Repsol and Neuron Bio, has reached an agreement with the Center for Second Generation Biofuels (CB2G) of CENER, the Spanish National Renewable Energy Centre, in order to carry out the scale-up
June 02, 2014 Read Full Article
The Pyromaniax: Anellotech Starts up Pearl River BTX Pilot Plant
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Meets December 2013 commitment to be able to provide BTX developmental quantities to strategic partners. Plant begins production of 1 kg quantities of BTX, now available to support Anellotech’s ongoing business development activities and strategic
May 13, 2014 Read Full Article
GeoSynFuels Purchases, Retrofits Idle Demonstration Plant
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Golden, Colo.-based GeoSynFuels LLC has acquired the cellulosic demonstration facility formerly owned and operated by Blue Sugars Corp., the parent company of Western Biomass Energy LLC. GSF plans to retrofit the plant to use its
April 16, 2014 Read Full Article
10 Bellwether Biofuels & Biobased Projects for 2014
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Advanced biofuels – are plans turning into reality? Are development plans realistic? When these 10 projects open for business (or not) in 2014, you’ll know for sure. ...Well, the picture is incomplete. Plants like the Valero Darling renewable
April 15, 2014 Read Full Article
Tennessee’s Biomass Innovation
by Susanne Retka Schill (BBI International/Biomass Magazine) Genera Energy is applying a systems approach to developing customized energy crop supply chains. ... Genera Energy aims to help clients answer those questions using a systems approach to developing customized supply chain solutions. As it wrapped
March 05, 2014 Read Full Article
Mackay Could Be Port of Call to Refuel Australian and US Navy
by Kim Waters (Daily Mercury) MACKAY has been flagged as a potential location to supply the Australian and US Navy with biofuel. Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning's Lindsay Pears said if an investor jumped on board a project to
March 05, 2014 Read Full Article
Alkol, U of Madrid to Develop Sugarcane Varieties for Spain
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Alkol Bioenergy and the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid have signed an agreement to develop a Brazilian sugarcane variety for Spain. The School of Forestry, ETSI, at UPM, will conduct the research. ... Alkol has an
March 04, 2014 Read Full Article
Leaf Energy Announces Preliminary Results of Pilot-Scale Trial
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Australia-based Leaf Energy Ltd. recently announced it has received a preliminary report from Andritz AG outlining the results of a pilot-scale trial of Leaf Energy’s Glycell Process, a glycerol pretreatment process, at the Andritz
February 11, 2014 Read Full Article
Aphios Granted Patent for Cellulosic Biomass Pretreatment
(Aphios/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Aphios Corp. has announced that it was granted U.S. Patent No. 8,540,847 entitled “Methods and Apparatus for Processing Cellulosic Biomass,” for its Aosic enabling technology platform. ... Trevor P. Castor, inventor of the Aosic platform, states that, “Cellulosic biomass
January 14, 2014 Read Full Article
The Digest's Bioeconomy Achievement Awards for 2013-14
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Beta Renewables, Abengoa, Enerkem, Proterro among the winners for Project of the Year — as residues and waste are keys to the big wins. For Fuel of the Year, Renewable Chemical of the Year, Product
January 03, 2014 Read Full Article
Purti Signs Pact with Praj Industries for Ethanol
by Ramu Bhagwat (Times of India) Pune-based Praj Industries which is a pioneer in developing new technology for ethanol production from agricultural waste has signed an agreement with Nitin Gadkari-promoted Purti Sugar to set up a new generation ethanol plant. To be located
December 31, 2013 Read Full Article
Special Asia Biofuels Report: The Top 10 Stories of the Year, and More
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Asia looks at petroleum reserves and exploration and concludes: our future is in biomass. As we wrote in 2012: “There’s only one complete region for biofuels where abundant feedstock, lack of oil & gas production, rising energy
December 26, 2013 Read Full Article
The Password Is….Bagasse: Raizen, Iogen Get Going on Cellulosic Ethanol at Industrial Scale
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In Brazil, Raizen has started construction on a 10 million gallon per year cellulosic ethanol plant using Iogen Energy technology. The $100 million project, located adjacent to Raízen’s Costa Pinto sugar cane mill in Piracicaba,
December 03, 2013 Read Full Article
Bunge Signals a Shift from Sugar; What’s the Impact for Advanced Biofuels?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In New York, in the wake of a $37 million Q1 loss in its sugar unit, Bunge CEO Soren Schroder, who took the reins of the company in June, announced yesterday that the trading giant
October 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Bureau of Energy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) : Significant Advancement in BOE-Funded Biofuel Technolgy International Award Recognizes Cellulose Butanol Technology
(4-Traders) The Bureau of Energy, MOEA has been funding long-term R&D on biofuel, and new biofuel technology has successfully been developed. The project, entitled "Carbon loss-free cellulose butanol production technology" won the 2013 R&D 100 Awards. This technology has the
October 02, 2013 Read Full Article
Brazil’s Big Six in Advanced Biofuels & Chemicals: Who’s Doing What Now?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) After taking a leading role in the global first generation wave of ethanol production, here come the Brazilians — with some hot North American technologies in tow — to take on next-generation biofuels and chemicals.
September 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Clariant Certifies Cellulosic Ethanol Plant under European Directives
(Clariant) Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, has received the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) for its sunliquid® demonstration plant in Straubing (Germany), which was opened in July 2012. The certificate confirms that the cellulosic ethanol from agricultural
September 04, 2013 Read Full Article
7 Hot Energy Crops for Advanced Biofuels: What’s Happening?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Miscanthus, sorghum, switchgrass, jatropha, camelina, carinata, and arundo. Who’s doing what to bring these crops to scale — and who are the potential big winners? ... Just when you start feeling great about bagasse or stover, you
August 08, 2013 Read Full Article
Routes to the Summit: 3 Keys to First Commercial Advanced Biofuels, and Beyond
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...It’s become an cliché of late that “financing is tough” and that “the US is slowing” while “China is speeding up” on advanced biofuels. It’s also become a cliché that “cellulosic biofuels are slow, the
July 23, 2013 Read Full Article
12 Bellwether Biofuels Projects – Where Do They Stand?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Advanced biofuels – mirage or reality? In January we wrote: “When these 12 projects open for business (or not) in 2013, you’ll know for sure.” So, what do we know? ... We identified 12 “Bellwether projects” in
July 22, 2013 Read Full Article
BIO World Congress Cellulosic Ethanol Panel: The Latest on Commercialization Progress
by David Glass (D Glass Associates) One of the morning sessions at the Tenth Annual BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology put four of the companies in the forefront of commercial development of cellulosic ethanol on the same panel. Although
June 18, 2013 Read Full Article
Clariant Demonstrates Sunliquid Process with Stover, Bagasse
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Not quite a year after opening a demonstration facility, Switzerland-based specialty chemicals company Clariant AG announced that it has expanded the feedstocks successfully converted to cellulosic ethanol beyond wheat straw to include corn stover
June 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Western Biomass up for Sale; Blue Sugars Files Bankruptcy
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Just months after receiving the first cellulosic renewable identification numbers for a shipment of cellulosic ethanol to its Brazil partner Petrobras, Western Biomass Energy LLC filed for bankruptcy and is now up for
May 28, 2013 Read Full Article
TMO, Usina Form Joint Venture for Brazilian Cellulosic Plant
(TMO Renewables/Ethanol Producer Magazine) TMO Renewables, the leading British developer of second generation biofuels technology, and Usina Santa Maria Ltda have entered into an agreement to form a joint venture to build the first commercial production plant in Brazil to
April 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Groundwork Begins on Florida Sweet Sorghum-to-Ethanol Plant
By Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Site preparation has begun and plans are being finalized for a formal groundbreaking ceremony to be held in the next few weeks at the country’s first sweet sorghum-to-ethanol plant being built by Southeast
April 23, 2013 Read Full Article
Oxygen for High Altitudes: 17 Biofuels Ventures Raise $434M in Equity
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Despite the sluggish economic recovery and questions over policy stability — biofuels ventures have been busy raising lots of capital. In the past 6 months, $434 million. Who got what, where, when and why? ...supplemental oxygen,
April 08, 2013 Read Full Article
The Sustainability of Advanced Biofuels in the EU
(Institute for European Environmental Policy) This report focuses on the potential sustainability of an advanced biofuel industry relying on mainly wastes and residues as the feedstock base. Presented as a series of ‘factsheets’ we consider various feedstocks put forward by
March 20, 2013 Read Full Article
ETH Bioenergy, Inbicon Partner on Cellulosic Ethanol in Brazil
(ETH Bioenergy/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Brazil-based ETH Bioenergy, a company of the Odebrecht Group, which operates in the production of ethanol, sugar and electricity from biomass of cane sugar, and Inbicon, a Danish company owned by DONG Energy has technology that
March 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Raizen to Spend $102 Million on Brazil Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
by Stephan Nielsen (Bloomberg) Raizen Energia SA, a Brazilian joint venture of Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA) and Cosan SA Industria & Commercio (CSAN3), will invest 200 million reais ($102 million) in a plant that will produce ethanol from sugar-cane
March 14, 2013 Read Full Article
Davy Process Technology Ltd and SEKAB E-Technology Form Strategic Partnership
(SEKAB/Davy Process Technology) Davy Process Technology Limited (Davy), a Johnson Matthey company, andSEKAB, a leading player in the field of the ethanol based chemicals and biofuels, today announced at World Biofuels Markets that they are embarking on a collaboration to
March 13, 2013 Read Full Article
Who’s Ahead Now in Enzymes? Codexis Launches Next-Gen CodeXyme4
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Compared to prior generations, CodeXyme 4 and CodeXyme 4X significantly reduce the cost of cellulosic sugar production for biofuels and bio‐based chemicals. ...Codexis’ latest generation of advanced cellulase enzymes, CodeXyme 4 for dilute acid pretreatments and
March 13, 2013 Read Full Article
Flying the Aussie BioSkies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In the world of biofuels there is no sector as active as military and aviation biofuels in terms of willing customers. At the Low Carbon Fuel Conference, held over two days in conjunction with
February 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Praj to Start Building India Sugar-Cane Waste Fuel Plant by May
by Stephan Nielsen (Bloomberg BusinessWeek) Praj Industries Ltd., an engineering company backed by billionaire Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, expects to begin construction on a $30 million biofuel demonstration plant in India before building one in the U.S. Construction on the 30,000-litre (7,925-gallon) facility will
February 15, 2013 Read Full Article
Brazil Doubles Down on Biofuel
by Vinod Sreeharsha (IEEE Spectrum) Later this year, northeastern Brazil will host one of the most ambitious biofuel experiments ever. There, in the small town of São Miguel dos Campos, surrounded by sprawling sugarcane fields, a commercial-scale ethanol plant is expected to start operating in
January 03, 2013 Read Full Article
12 Bellwether Biofuels Projects for 2013
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A long war of opinion has been waged for years between advanced biofuels’ detractors and supporters. Mirage or reality? Completion of 6 key projects 2012 decided much of the debate. When these 12 projects open
January 01, 2013 Read Full Article
Advanced Ethanol Council Releases Snapshot of Cellulosic Ethanol Production around the World
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Advanced Ethanol Council this morning released a report giving a snapshot of cellulosic ethanol producers in the U.S. and around the world. A look at facilities owned by companies such as Abengoa Bioenergy, Enerkem, INEOS Bio
December 19, 2012 Read Full Article
Why Affordable Renewable Sugars are a Monster Prize
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Today, we could use a good five-cent renewable sugar, suitable for microorganisms that, from sucrose, make affordable renewable fuels and chemicals. The technologies of companies like Virent, Solazyme, LS9 and Amyris depend on access to
December 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Novel Pretreatment for Cellulosic Bio-Ethanol Production “Glycerol Bio-Refinery Process”
(Leaf Energy) The patent application titled “Methods for Converting Lignocellulosic Material to Useful Products” (“Glycerol Bio-refinery process”) describes the process developed at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) by Zhanging Zhang, Ian O’Hara and William Doherty. The production of biofuels from
December 06, 2012 Read Full Article
ICM, Inc. Successfully Completes 1,000-Hour Run Proving Generation 1.5: Integrated Fiber to Cellulosic Ethanol Technology
(ICM) ICM, Inc. announces that it successfully completed its 1,000-hour run of an integrated fiber campaign conducted at its pilot plant in St. Joseph, Missouri. ICM has developed and validated its proprietary Generation 1.5 Integrated Fiber to Cellulosic Ethanol Technology
December 05, 2012 Read Full Article
BBC World News Horizons: How San Francisco and Brazil Are Pioneering a New Generation of Biofuels
(The NonProfit Press) Broadcasting on 17th November and 18th November 2012, in the seventeenth episode of the Horizons series, presenters Adam Shaw and Saima Mohsin take a closer look at a new generation of energy crops in Brazil and
November 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Praj Accelerates 2nd Generation Ethanol Technology Development by Launching a Commercial Demo Plant
(PR NewsWire/Sacramento Bee) Praj Industries, the integrated process engineering and solutions provider for bioethanol, brewery, water & wastewater and process equipment globally shared it's advancement in the development of Commercial Demo Plant for Lignocellulosic Ethanol. This is a major game changer for
November 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Financing in Place, Cobalt Ready to Deploy n-butanol in Brazil
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) With the announcement of new investment from Bunge Global Innovation LLC, Cobalt Technologies’ n-butanol development is ready for deployment in Brazil. “We’re in a position now where the demonstration plant is fully funded and
November 06, 2012 Read Full Article
New Technology to Produce Ethanol from Sago
(The Star) A Japanese technology, which is still in its pilot stage, may be used on sago to produce ethanol. Kansai Chemical Engineering Company Limited of Bio-Energy Corporation presdent Dr Hideo Noda said in Japan, several projects on bio-ethanol production from
November 01, 2012 Read Full Article
The Big Bagasse Biofuels Boom
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Deployment of next-gen bagasse-to-biofuels technologies could expand ethanol production in Brazil, India by 35 percent without land, water intensification. ...Guidance being given by the projects is that capacities could increase by up to 35 percent at
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Iogen Makes a Comeback in Landmark Sugarcane Cellulosic Ethanol Deal with Brazil’s Raizen
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) World’s largest producer of sugarcane ethanol commits investment to cellulosic ethanol development with Iogen. In Brazil, Raízen Group and Iogen Energy announced that Raízen has committed an initial investment to develop a commercial cellulosic ethanol project in Brazil
October 16, 2012 Read Full Article
Ethanol-Infused Gas Takes Test Run in Tainan
(Taiwan Today) Taiwan Institute of Economic Research introduced the benefits of ethanol-infused fuel to the nation’s drivers in Rende Township, Tainan City, Oct. 4. TIER, subcontracted by the National Science Council to conduct a project on the development
October 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Finland’s Chempolis in Talks for Biorefinery Plant in India
by Natalie Obiko Pearson (Bloomberg) Finland’s Chempolis Ltd. is in talks with Indian sugar companies to set up a biorefinery in the South Asia nation. The Oulu-based company, which provides technology that allows raw materials like sugar-cane pulp, bamboo and straw
September 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Tranquility Base Here. The Crescentino project has landed.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Once described as a “moon shot”, Beta Renewables’ commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol project hovers just over the lunar surface, weeks from completion. It’s transformative cost structure may well reignite the cellulosic rockets. The first thing you
September 18, 2012 Read Full Article
Sugarcane As Industrial Commodity Pressed
by Melody M. Aguiba (Manila Bulletin) The government should now position sugarcane as an industrial commodity, particularly for bioethanol, and sugar as a mere by-product which is the way to survive in a stiffly competitive environment by 2015. This new policy
September 05, 2012 Read Full Article
The Top 10 Advanced Biofuels and Biorefining Companies in Asia
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...While the economic growth in China has been drawing virtually all the headlines in recent years, the “Tiger” economies of Southeast and South Asia have been fast-growing for a long time, and with resources including
September 04, 2012 Read Full Article
Novozymes, Terranol Partner on Yeast to Boost Biofuels Industry
by Sally Bakewell (Bloomberg BusinessWeek) Novozymes A/S (NZYMB) agreement to market Terranol A/S’s yeast technology as the world’s biggest maker of enzymes seeks to make biofuels from energy crops and agricultural waste commercially viable. ...Novozymes supplies enzymes to break down matter such
August 30, 2012 Read Full Article
What Does a Brazilian Ethanol Producer Weigh?
by Nick Cressey (Green Power Conferences/World Biofuels Markets News) I am a Brazilian ethanol refinery. I am not very big but I am happy and I make a comfortable profit. I have one nice big field of cane and one
August 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Dating Your Feedstock and Never Marrying: The 6 Hottest Ways to Alleviate Food vs Fuel
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) With the US drought, food vs fuel has returned as an issue. What alternatives are scientists, entrepreneurs developing to take us beyond the old debate? ...1. Feedstock diversification. In biofuels, it is more talked about –
August 21, 2012 Read Full Article
Why Sugarcane Bagasse is the Most Promising Pathway for Cellulosic Ethanol
by Robert Rapier (Biofuels Digest) ...Because of the extra steps involved relative to corn or sugarcane ethanol, capital and operating costs are higher for cellulosic ethanol than for ethanol derived from carbohydrates. But the ongoing attraction of cellulosic ethanol is
August 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Cobalt, Rhodia Ink Joint Development Deal for Biobutanol Demonstration Plant in Brazil
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Cobalt Technologies and Rhodia announced they will begin joint development and operation of a biobutanol demonstration facility in Brazil. The Cobalt/Rhodia plant will utilize sugarcane bagasse to make n-butanol; bagasse is used at
August 08, 2012 Read Full Article
Growing Better Biofuel Crops
by Heather Youngs and Chris Somerville (The Scientist) Research is underway to reduce the use of food crops for biofuels by shifting to dedicated energy crops and agricultural residues. ...Conversion of biomass is currently the most cost-effective route to produce renewable
July 05, 2012 Read Full Article
DSM Enzymes for Cellulosic Ethanol Qualified by DONG Energy
(DSM) Royal DSM, the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company, has been qualified as supplier of enzymes for DONG Energy - Inbicon’s wheat straw to cellulosic ethanol process. The enzymes have been successfully used in the demonstration scale biorefinery
June 06, 2012 Read Full Article
GraalBio Investimentos Plans to Invest $724.5 Million in Five Cellulosic Ethanol Projects in Brazil
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Brazil, GraalBio Investimentos plans to invest $724.5 million in five cellulosic ethanol plants during the next few years. The first 21.6 million gallon facility in Alagoas that will use sugarcane bagasse as feedstock is expected to
May 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Waste Lines: The Hottest Trends with Bio’s Coolest Feedstock
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Regardless of its naming deficiencies, waste has been hot and getting hotter as a bioenergy feedstock because it solves three of the most pressing problems blocking capacity expansion. 1. The feedstocks are available at fixed, affordable
May 29, 2012 Read Full Article
Iran Becomes Biofuel Producer
(Trend) ...Iran produced a sample of biofuel six months ago and is preparing to start its production. Located in the Khuzestan Province's Haft-Tapeh, a new 10,000 liter capacity biofuel facility will begin operating in the near future. Iran's biofuel, or bioethanol,
March 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Cobalt Pre-Treatment Test Clears Way for Commercial Scale
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In California, Cobalt Technologies announced that it has successfully demonstrated its dilute acid hydrolysis pretreatment process, the first step of Cobalt’s process for converting sugars into n-butanol for use as a renewable chemical or fuel. Cobalt’s dilute
March 07, 2012 Read Full Article
Sermatec Zanini and GeoSynFuels, LLC Form Strategic Alliance
(Sermatec Zanini and GeoSynFuels, LLC) Sermatec Zanini and GeoSynFuels, LLC (GSF) have announced the formation of a strategic alliance for the development and commercialization of GSF’s proprietary cellulosic ethanol technology. The strategic alliance allows Sermatec Zanini to earn an equity position
February 02, 2012 Read Full Article
What is Cellulosic Ethanol? The Future Fuel
(EcoGreen4US) ... Cellulosic ethanol is produced from plant fibre which is widely available almost anywhere in the world. Today, producing cellulosic ethanol is not in a laboratory anymore. A number ofmanufacturing plants around the world have been producing cellulosic ethanol asalternative to diesel and gasoline orpetrol. Some of the plant fibres which have been studied could be
January 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Abengoa Selected by the Brazilian Development Bank to Develop a Second Generation Ethanol Plant in Brazil Based on Sugar Cane
(Abengoa) Abengoa, the international company that applies innovative technology solutions for sustainable development in the energy and environment sectors, has been selected by the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) and FINEP, the promotion and investment agency for studies and projects, to
January 13, 2012 Read Full Article
The 7 Paths of the New Agriculture
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...But the New Agriculture has arisen in recent years, with new solutions to the old dilemma: how do you produce, and afford, and haul, and utilize enough feedstock to make an integrated biorefinery work? How
January 06, 2012 Read Full Article
Profiles in Scale-up: China, Nigeria Ink Deal to Invest $2.55B in 15 Integrated Biorefinery Projects
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Nigeria, Bloomberg and several local outlets are reporting that the Nigerian government has signed a $2.55 billion development deal with Global Biofuels, to construct 15 integrated biorefineries throughout the West African nation. According to reports,
January 06, 2012 Read Full Article
New Biofuel Production Technologies: Overview of These Expanding Sectors and the Challenges Facing Them
(IFP Energies Nouvelles) The numerous research programmes looking at new-generation biofuels that were initiated over the last ten years are now starting to bear fruit. Although no plants are producing and marketing biofuels yet, the large-scale, industrial feasibility of second-generation biofuel production at
December 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Alta Vista Securities Announced It Has Closed a Seven Million Dollar Joint Venture Investm
(PRLog) Alta Vista Securities today (December 29, 2011) announced today a new Bioenergy Joint Venture focusing on the processing of Rice, Sugarcane and Coconut into energy producing Biofuels Pacific Biofuels Corporations will establish three biofuels plants in the Philippines. Each plant
December 30, 2011 Read Full Article
Codexis, Mascoma Show that Low-Cost Sugar is the Key, as Biofuels Moves from R&D into Industrial Era
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...“The government rushed into investments, with no diligence,” says Codexis chief Alan Shaw. “They are just not industrialists, in my opinion.” Two major announcements this week drive the point home in advanced biofuels. In California, Codexis introduced its
December 12, 2011 Read Full Article
Bagasse – the Big Prize
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Then, there’s bagasse. That leftover residue at the sugar mill after squeezing out all the cane juice. Exciting enough that Cobalt recently signed an agreement with the 10th largest global chemical company, Rhodia, to pursue
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Oil Palm Residue Could Solve Food vs. Biofuel Debate
by Ismira Lutfia (Jakarta Globe) The millions of tons of fibrous residue produced by palm oil plantations across the country could soon become a major source of raw material for renewable fuel. Over the past year, scientists from the Indonesian
August 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Study Shows How Australia and New Zealand Can Establish Their Own Sustainable Aviation Biofuels Industry
(GreenAirOnline) A study to determine the feasibility of the Australian and New Zealand aviation sector using sustainable biofuels to meet industry carbon reduction targets concludes that a bio-derived jet fuel industry could decrease aviation emissions by 17 per cent and
June 10, 2011 Read Full Article
World Advances on Cellulose Ethanol, Brazil Lags
by Inae Riveras (Reuters) Research to develop second-generation ethanol is advancing globally, but Brazil, which vaunts its sugar cane as the ideal raw material for such fuels, lags in the race, industry experts said on Monday. Investments from foreign companies associated
March 29, 2011 Read Full Article
S.Africa's Illovo Says May Opt to Produce Biofuels
by Ruona Agbroko (Reuters Africa) South Africa's Illovo Sugar may opt to produce biofuel from sugarcane if it makes commercial sense, its managing director said late on Wednesday. South Africa's Department of Energy said earlier this month it would make
March 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Carnival: BP Doubles Down in Brazil as the Advanced Biofuels Frenzy Continues
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Fast-rising sugar prices, which have made the Brazilian ethanol business a whole lot less appealing (why not simply distribute sugar at 32 cents a pound, instead of processing into ethanol and making less?), haven’t dimmed
March 11, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuel Startup Hopes to Win Over Skeptics
by Marc Gunther (Sustainable Business Forum) ...If I’d taken biology and chemistry in college, I might be explain to explain Codexis’s technology in a sophisticated away. Here’s the best I can manage: In brief, the company rearranges the DNA of
March 04, 2011 Read Full Article
The Brew Barons: Masters of Advanced Fermentation, Driving the Redefinition of Biofuels: Pt 1
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Is there enough energy, food, fiber and feed for all? Advances in industrial fermentation – a/k/a an incredulous “you’re making what? from what? using what? – will be the key to answering that question. The stars of this drama
March 01, 2011 Read Full Article
Gearing up for Bagasse
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) KL Energy Corp. is preparing to validate its modified process technology to turn sugarcane bagasse into ethanol. As the bitter winter turns to spring in the tiny town of Upton, Wyo., located on the northern
February 21, 2011 Read Full Article
Shell, Codexis to Roll Out Cellulose Technology for Biofuel
by Eduard Gismatullin (Bloomberg) Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Europe’s largest oil company, and Codexis Inc. will roll out technology this year to make biofuels from wheat straw and sugar-cane bagasse, the cellulose-rich waste from cane processing. Shell and Codexis have been researching enzymes to
February 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Norway Backs Ethanol Plant
(Argus Media) Norwegian chemicals and technology specialist Borregaard has secured a government grant of 58mn kroner ($9.8mn) to build a 400m³ pilot ethanol plant in Sarpsborg, southeast Norway. ...The Sarpsborg plant will use a diverse array of agricultural feedstock including straw,
January 11, 2011 Read Full Article
$10m Biofuel Plant to Lead the Way
by Cait Bester (Daily Mercury) ...Queensland University of Technology’s Mackay Renewable Biocommodities Pilot Plant will be officially opened... Lead researcher and Queensland University of Technology professor, James Dale, said the purpose-built plant at Mackay Sugar’s Racecourse Mill would be the
July 13, 2010 Read Full Article
American Chemical Society Announces New Bioprocess for Producing Biofuels from Agricultural Waste
Scientists in California are reporting use of a first-of-its-kind approach to craft genetically engineered microbes with the much-sought ability to transform switchgrass, corn cobs, and other organic materials into methyl halides — the raw material for making gasoline and a